11 killed in deadly explosion at coal mine in China’s Shaanxi province

Nine workers who were “trapped underground have been found, and none of them have any vital signs.

At least 11 people were killed in a coal mine explosion in the historic northern Chinese province of Shaanxi, according to Chinese media on Tuesday.

The explosion ripped through the Xintai Coal Mine near Yanan at 8:26pm (12:26 GMT), according to CCTV, citing the municipal emergency management bureau.

Nine workers who were “trapped underground have been found, and none of them have any vital signs,” according to CCTV, and two people “died after resuscitation efforts failed.”

At the time of the explosion, 90 people were inside the mine at the mine on Monday evening.

The CCTV further said that 11 people were “lightly injured” and had been taken to hospital for treatment, adding that “their vital signs are stable”.

“The cause of the accident is currently under investigation,” CCTV added.

The explosion was confirmed by the provincial Department of Emergency Management on social media, Al-Jazeera reported.

China, as the world’s largest coal producer and consumer, has experienced its deadliest accident since the February collapse of an open-pit mine in Inner Mongolia.

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Despite calls for safety improvements, mining operations often cut corners, with local officials turning a blind eye.

China has experienced a series of deadly industrial and construction accidents in recent months, often due to poor safety training, corruption, and corporate profit-seeking. President Xi Jinping has called for safety improvements.